Overview

Broadsides and Boarding Parties is a two-player naval combat game from Milton Bradley’s 1984 GameMaster series. Players command sailing ships, plotting movement with cards, firing cannons when in range, and eventually boarding the enemy vessel for hand-to-hand combat. The game features two distinct phases: Broadsides (ship maneuvering and cannon fire using plotting cards on a sea board) and Boarding Parties (crew-vs-crew melee combat on the ship decks). The game ends when one player’s ship is sunk, their Captain is killed, or they surrender.

Components

• 1 Game board (sea grid with islands and dots for movement)
• 2 Large ships (The Royal Isabella, The Seahawk) with removable masts
• 2 Small ships (for board movement)
• 20 Cannons (10 per player)
• 42 Crewmembers (21 per color, including 1 Captain each)
• Damage markers
• 30 Cards per player (3 each of: Remain in Place, Move Forward, Turn Starboard, Turn Port, Damaged Mast and/or Hull)
• 2 Dice (1 red, 1 white)

Setup

Each player:

1. Choose a large ship (Royal Isabella or Seahawk) and place it on the side of the board to your left.
2. Place your small ship on the large black starting circle on your side of the board.
3. Place 10 cannons on deck sections at cannon ports: B3, B5, C3, C5, D3, D5, E3, E5, F3, F5.
4. Place 20 crewmembers (same color as your small ship): one on either side of each cannon, remaining crew on any sections.
5. Place your Captain on any section.
6. Take a handful of damage markers, 15 plotting cards (3 of each type), and 1 die.

Turn Structure

Broadsides Phase

1. Chart Your Course: Choose 3 plotting cards from your hand and place them facedown in order on the 3 squares next to your large ship.

2. Move Your Ships: Both players simultaneously reveal card 1 and move their small ships. Repeat for cards 2 and 3.

• Remain in Place: Ship stays put.
• Move Forward: Move to the dot directly ahead.
• Turn Starboard: Rotate 45 degrees clockwise, stay on current dot.
• Turn Port: Rotate 45 degrees counter-clockwise, stay on current dot.

3. Cannon Fire: When ships are within 1 dot of each other after any plotting card is revealed, cannon fire may occur.

4. Remove Cards: Return plotting cards to hand. Plot again.

Collision: If both ships end on the same dot after a plotting move, proceed to Boarding Parties.

Boarding Parties Phase

1. Position Ships: Remove masts, place large ships parallel on the board based on collision direction.

2. Final Volley: Exchange one last round of cannon fire (only side-facing cannons). Ignore mast/hull damage.

3. Determine First Boarder: Each player rolls a die; highest goes first.

4. Board and Fight: Take turns moving crewmembers and fighting hand-to-hand combat.

Actions

Cannon Fire (Broadsides)

• Which cannons fire: Determined by the angle between ships.
  • Front diagonal line intersects enemy: 2 forward cannons fire.
  • Center line intersects enemy (broadside): all 5 cannons on that side fire.
  • Rear diagonal line intersects enemy: 2 aft cannons fire.
  • Bow or stern facing enemy: cannot fire.
• Cannon fire is simultaneous between players.
• Resolution: For each cannon, declare a target deck section (A-H), then roll a die:
  • 1: Always a miss
  • 2: Hull damage
  • 3: Hits all targets in the 3-position of the section
  • 4: Hits a mast (if section is A, C, G, or H)
  • 5: Hits all targets in the 5-position of the section
  • 6: Always a miss
• Captains and additional crewmembers in the hit section are also targets.

Cannon Fire Effects

• Cannon/Crew loss: Removed from the deck. Active cannons still fire this round even if hit.
• Mast damage: Remove the mast. Main mast (C4) requires 2 hits. For each mast lost, you must use 1 Damaged Mast and/or Hull card in place of a plotting card on subsequent turns.
• Hull damage: Place damage marker on the hull section. 2 hits to the same hull section = irreparable damage, requiring 1 Damaged Mast and/or Hull card per turn.
• 3 Damaged cards required: If forced to play 3 Damaged Mast/Hull cards, you cannot move (may still fire). Consider surrendering.
• Ship sinks: If 3 Damaged cards are required due to hull damage specifically, your ship sinks and you lose.
• Captain loss: Finish the current round’s plotting. Cannot plot next round, but can still fire. At end of that round, promote a surviving crewmember to Captain.

Movement on Islands

If you plot your ship onto an island, lose remaining plotted moves for the round. Resume plotting next round.

Boarding Parties Combat

• Move crewmembers (including Captain) between deck sections. Must make exactly 3 movements per turn (e.g., 1 crew moves 3 sections, or 3 crew move 1 each).
• Crew may move diagonally on ships but must board straight across to the directly opposite section.
• Movement between deck levels requires adjacency to a ladder.
• Maximum 3 crewmembers per deck section.
• Hand-to-hand combat: When your crew enters a section with enemy crew, combat begins after all 3 movements. Both roll a die; higher number eliminates an opposing crewmember. Add +1 for each extra crewmember you have, +1 if Captain is present. Combat continues until one side is eliminated. No retreating.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Broadsides Victory

You win if:

• Opponent surrenders due to mast and/or hull damage.
• Opponent’s ship sinks from hull damage.
• Opponent loses all cannons, crewmembers, and Captain.

Boarding Parties Victory

You win if: Opponent’s Captain is eliminated in hand-to-hand combat.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Plotting 3 cards: Must always play exactly 3 cards, which may include Damaged Mast/Hull cards if required.
• Simultaneous cannon fire: Even if a cannon is hit this round, it still fires during the current round.
• Main mast requires 2 hits: First hit removes the top part only.
• Captain replacement: When Captain is eliminated, finish current round normally. Promote any surviving crewmember at the end of that round.
• No retreat in boarding: Once crew enters an occupied enemy section, combat must be resolved to completion.
• Crew limit per section: Maximum 3 crewmembers (including Captain) per deck section at any time.

Player Reference

Broadsides Turn:

1. Plot 3 cards facedown
2. Reveal and move simultaneously (3 times)
3. Cannon fire if within range after any move
4. Return cards to hand

Cannon Fire Resolution (per cannon):

Roll	Effect
1	Miss
2	Hull damage
3	Hits 3-position targets
4	Mast hit (sections A, C, G, H)
5	Hits 5-position targets
6	Miss

Boarding Parties Turn:

• 3 total movements per turn
• Combat: roll die + numerical advantage + Captain bonus
• Higher roll eliminates 1 enemy crew
• No retreat from combat

Win Conditions: Sink ship (hull), eliminate Captain (boarding), opponent surrenders, or eliminate all enemy units.